by Charlotte Eberlein

Director, University of Idaho Extension

From the beginning, land-grant university extension programs across Idaho and the United States were designed to serve local people and address local issues. In direct response to stakeholder input, the UI Extension Community Development Team has expanded its efforts.

Internal resources were reallocated, and the team has grown from 8 individuals in 2002 to 18 in 2006. Its new strategic plan focuses on leadership and civic engagement; economic development, diversity, and vitality; data tools for understanding communities; and issues at the wildland-urban interface. 

To support economic development, team educators partner with Idaho’s Small Business Development Center to deliver entrepreneurship training and also to provide customer service training for businesses and  governmental organizations. In addition, team members conduct feasibility studies for new or expanding Idaho businesses.

Leadership training is another priority. Team members have partnered with the Northwest Area Foundation (NWAF) to offer an 18-month intensive leadership training and poverty reduction program called Horizons in Orofino, Elk River, and Kamiah, with a “mini-Horizons” course in Pierce and Weippe.

Results: Each community developed a strategic action plan, a number of program participants ran for and were elected to public office, and new  nonprofits are in place to continue the work.

The UI Extension-Horizons partnership is now in its second phase with 14 new community groups in northern Idaho, thanks to a new NWAF grant.

In Teton County, team members have offered a leadership program called EVOLVE, which will expand to several more communities in 2007.

Good planning relies on unbiased data. The team has developed a data profile for each county in Idaho. Now residents and leaders have at their   fingertips information about local trends in population, the economy, health, crime, education, diversity, housing, income, poverty, and other subjects.

Finally, the team collaborates with Washington State University to offer an annual Wildland-Urban Interface Conference, addressing issues for areas where homes and non-cultivated landscapes-—forests and rangelands—mingle. Major issues include fire, growth, invasive species, planning, sustainable development, and wildlife.

The conference lets participants learn about current research and apply that knowledge to policy development and activities at the wildland-urban interface.